Trace-carrier



UNITED STATES ALEXANDER E. CLARK,

TRACE-CARRIER.

PATENT OFFICE.

OF BCKHOLTS, TEXAS. i

SECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 399,498, dated. March 12, 1889.

Application filed November 22, 1888. Serial No, 291,541. (No model.)

T0 @ZZ whom it may concern.:

Be it known that l, ALEXANDER E. CLARK, of Buckholts, in the county of Milani and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Buckles and Back-Band Hooks and l do hereby declare the following' to be a full, clear, and exact description ot the inventitm, such as will enable i others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use it, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which iorm part of this specification.

My invention relates to an imln-ovement in buckles and back-band hooks; and it consists in a frame having an oblong slot or opening through it for the passage ot' the back-band, and which has the trace-hook formed as a portion of it, in combination with a pivoted triangular shaped bar or bars, which are loosely connected to the frame, and which close in the oblong opening` or slot, so as to clamp or hold the back-band, as will be more fully described hereinafter.

The object of my invention is to provide a buckle and back-band hook which can be attached to either a cloth or leather backband by fric-tional contact alone, and thus prevent the necessity of forming hooks or openings through the back-band and forming tongues upon the buckles, so as to hold the back-band in any desired position.

Figure l represents a perspective ot' a de vice which embodies my invention, two bars being shown. Fig. 2 is a section of the same, showing the device in use. Fig. 3 is a perspective of a buckle having but a single bar.

A represents a frame of suitable length. and shape, and which has the hook B for supporting the trace or chain formed as an integral part thereof. 'lhe sides of the opening C made through the trame are slanted inward toward each other at their inner edges, and thecnds ot' the i'rame are rounded, so as to t'orm pivots or bearings, upon which the tria-ngularshape l clam])ing-bars l) are placed. These bars are made triangular in cross-sectitm, so as to correspond to the inclined ei'lges ot' the opening or slotI C, and thus clamp, when closed, tightly against the baek-band G, which is passed through the opening, and hold the buckle and hook in any position in which it may be placed. There may be either two short bars, which have their free ends to meet at the center of the frame A, or a single long bar, as may be l preferred, the long bar being made to extend i from one end of the slot to the other.

Owingto the shape of the sides of the slot or opening through the frame A, and to the triangular shape of the bars, the back-band is secured to the bucklebytrictional contact alone, and hence it is only necessary to open the bar j when the buckle and hook can be adjusted into any position. The buckle and hook being held by frictional contact alone equally I' well upon cloth or leather, there is no neeesi sity of forming a tongue upon the buckle or holes through the back-band in order to sup port the hook and buckle in position and thus weaken the back-band. The point or upper end of the hook being just above the bars when they are closed upon the backband, the top of the hook is closed in such a manner that the chain or trace cannot be readily disengaged, prevents the hook from catching in other chains when brought in connection with them, and holds the points of the angle-bars in their proper place. As will be seen in Fig. there is no bar oi' iron between the back -band and the horse t0 ehafe the horse, as in the ordinary form of buckle.

Herctofore emlwisen1oviug bars have been used in connection wit-h back-band buckles and hooks; but these arc more costly to manufacture, more troublesome to operate, and do not hold the back-band as tightly by frictional contact as is done in the construction here shown and described.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- The combination of the frame A, having the hook B formed upon its lower edge and provided with a slot or opening, C, the sides of which are inclined toward each other, with the 1riangnlar-shaped rod or rods which arc lgiivotcd upon the frame and around which the band is passcd,and which, when closed, clamp the back-band against the in' clined sides ot' the slot or opening, and at the same time close the upper end of the hook, substantial] as shown and described.

In testimony whereof lafiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALEXANDER,- E. CLARK. Witnesses:

J. N. FRENCH, W. C. BMRD.

IOO 

